MDOT employee won't be disciplined for violating state ethics law

Dec. 16, 2013

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Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Transportation will strengthen its code of conduct but won’t discipline an employee found to have violated the state ethics law, the Board of Ethics was told today.

Todd White, who is in charge of human resources for the department, said officials verbally counseled highway advertising specialist Melissa Staffeld but don’t want to discipline her because they don’t believe they could successfully defend such an action, if challenged.

“One of the things we are bound by ... is being able to support disciplinary action in front of a grievance process or hearings officer,” White told the board.

The board ruled in May that Staffeld committed an ethical breach in 2010 when she disclosed to a competitor confidential information about a company’s plans to erect a highway billboard. The board asked the department to impose appropriate discipline on Staffeld and strengthen policies to prevent a repeat.

The board invited MDOT officials to a special meeting today after learning Staffeld was not disciplined.

Though the department doesn’t dispute that Staffeld violated the law, officials have said she had no ill intent and didn’t play favorites. White said the department considered several factors, including Staffeld’s past exemplary record and whether she knew what conduct was expected of her.

The department, which already strengthened the language in its employee conduct guide with respect to confidential information, will further strengthen that language in consultation with the board and the Attorney General’s Office, White said.

The board, which went into a closed session for about 20 minutes to discuss legal advice, was satisfied.

“We just want to be certain the department is taking it as seriously as we do,” said board member Albert Taylor Nelson Jr.

Joseph Oram, who filed the ethics complaint after his billboard company was put at a disadvantage by the information Staffeld disclosed to a competitor, could not be reached for comment.